Welcome to EventApp Pittsburgh!
Starting in January of 2023, The new Office of Film & Event Management will be the permitting authority for block parties, special events, first amendment activity, and film projects in the City of Pittsburgh. The process to apply and receive permits for these activities will remain the same.
As in 2022, applicants will pay a $25.00 processing fee at application submission. There is a separate cost for the actual Special Event Permit, which will depend on a variety of factors including event classification (charitable, general, or commerical), whether an event is static or a run, walk, ride, or parade, and the type of city property used for the event. The categories that event applications will be placed into include:
Charitable Events – Events that are directly associated with fundraising for the entity which is established as a not-for-profit corporation and which has been granted Federal tax-exempt status. All profits from these events are donated to charity. Events that claim Charitable status may be required to identify profiting charity and percentage of proceeds donated. Applications submitted by recognized Community groups will be considered Charitable. Charitable events will pay a base permit fee of $75.00.
General Events - Events such as, but not limited to, music performances, exhibitions, arts and craft shows that are free and open to the public and do not constitute Charitable or Commercial Events. These events do not generate any profit and are conducted for the good of the community and for quality of life. General Events will pay a base permit fee of $200.00.
Commercial Events - Events that seek to promote, advertise, or introduce a product, corporation, company or other commercial entity to either the general public or to a portion of the general public. These events generate a profit for the applicant or sponsor and a primary purpose of the event is to make money. Commercial events will pay a base permit fee of $675.00.
The final factor in the cost of a Special Event Permit will be the type and classification of the city property used for the event. Costs will vary based on park space used (Regional vs. General), and/or roadway used. Roadway costs are dependent on the class of road way based on the Federal Highway Association (FHWA) Functional Classification System. Specific costs can be found in the "Getting Started" document available in the column to the right.
'Mobile' events, such as runs, walks, rides, and parades, will also be categorized as Charitable, General, or Commercial, but will have their permit cost based on the property type that constitutes the majority of their route. More information on this can be found in the "Getting Started" document at right. Parades are classified separately by Chapter 470 of the Pittsburgh City Code.
FINES: There is a series of fines that could be charged to events for various violations of permit conditions. Applicants will be given opportunities to rectify any shortcomings that could result in fines before any fines are actually imposed. Should permit violations not be rectified or mitigated, organizers will receive an invoice from the Office of Film & Event Management with all appropriate fines. Failure to pay these penalties could result in the denial of future permits. More information on these financial penalties can be found in the "Getting Started" document at right.
For clarity on any of the information above, please review the "Getting Started" document at right which explains the changes in greater detail. Also included in this document are costs for city services such as police coverage, barricade or traffic control rentals, medical coverage, etc. For further information, please contact the Office of Film & Event Management at specialevents@pittsburghpa.gov
The Office of Film & Event Management is the official film & event permitting office for the City of Pittsburgh.
Office of Film & Event Management Hours:
8:00am-4:45pm EST Monday- Friday
NOTE:
THE OFFICE IS CURRENTLY WORKING HYBRID SCHEDULES.
RESPONSES MAY BE DELAYED.
Questions should be sent to OFEM@pittsburghpa.gov for fastest response.
To support the city’s rapidly growing event industry, the Office of Film & Event Management utilizes the online application software EventApp Pittsburgh. In addition to managing the permitting process for events in the City of Pittsburgh, the Office of Film & Event Management will also be responsible for the following:
- Issuing permits to events on public property in the City of Pittsburgh.
- Facilitating communication between event organizers and city departments and authorities.
- Handling cost recovery efforts for City services related to event needs.
- Handling permitting for block-parties and community festivals in addition to special events.
We know you have a choice to host your event anywhere and we thank you for choosing the City of Pittsburgh as the location for your event. Have an amazing time!
2023 APPLICATION PROCESSING FEE: $25.00
2023 BLOCK PARTY PERMIT FEE: $25.00
Revision Fee*: $25.00
Revision Fee: Event applications that have been reviewed and approved but then request changes that require the Special Events Committee to reopen their application file will be charged a revision fee of $25.00.
Permit applications for all Special Events, including First Amendment Activity not responding to current events, must be submitted to the Office of Special Events at least fourteen (14) business days and not more than one hundred eighty (180) business days before the date and time at which the Event is proposed to commence. Applications submitted less than fourteen (14) business days before the event start date will not be approved and will not be reviewed.
Permit applications for Block Parties and Portico Free Speech events must be submitted to the Office of Special Events at least seven (7) business days before the date and time at which the Block Party is to commence. Applications submitted less than seven (7) business days before the event start date will not be approved and will not be reviewed.
It is strongly recommended that organizers submit their applications as early as possible to allow adequate time for coordination of City services and to lock in their location and date.
ALL APPLICATIONS REQUIRE A CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE IN WHICH THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH IS LISTED AS AN ADDITIONAL INSURED. PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS ON YOUR CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE:
OFFICE OF FILM & EVENT MANANGEMENT
414 GRANT STREET ROOM 462
PITTSBURGH, PA 15219
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
HIGH VOLUME EVENT DATE ALERT
SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023
SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2023
FRIDAY, JUNE 1 through SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 2023
THURSDAY, JUNE 15 through SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2023
TUESDAY, JULY 4, 2023
THURSDAY, JULY 27 through SUNDAY, JULY 30, 2023
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17 through SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, 2023
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2023
EVENTS IN CITY PARKS
Apply to hold an event
Please follow this link to begin your application.